Danger, Will Robinson! Wear the Sparkles DAMMIT!

Someday I will share the story with you of what has been happening here behind the scenes with our business. So much time, money and effort has been expended on issues here that really didn't need to be done, yet we were forced into doing certain things by certain regulatory agencies... who then "changed their mind" about said certain things. Much to the dismay of our emotions and wallets.  A lot of that tomfoolery continues to drag on, and I must finally admit, I'm at my breaking point. Being a 60s-80's growing up kind of gal, I suppose the robot warning "danger Will Robinson!" from the voices in my head made perfectly good sense this morning.

Pity the poor other happy vegan at times when I break. Take today for example.

Today began as benign as could be, usual things going on. We already made our plans to go to the fabulous Annual Key West Art and Craft Show (yup, one of the only other shows I wait all year for besides Sugarloaf) and I had a few deliveries to make on the way down. I was well prepared with things wrapped, boxed and inventoried for said deliveries. Our timeline was pretty well set too. Things were going just swimmingly, until "it" happened. It matters not what the reality of "it" is.... "it" is what set me off on a tirade of epic proportions. No fault of anyone in particular, just an unfortunate set of circumstances. And, with that unfortunate set of circumstances piled upon months of other unfortunate circumstances, I melted down completely. It was absolutely epic. Again.

Pity the poor other happy vegan.

As this epic meltdown progressed, of course there was no consoling me. I began to become completely unhinged by every little thing, and every big thing, that was in my way. In the span of 5 minutes, I went through my entire living room and dining room, filled an entire box with paperwork, paints and other assorted crap from my dining room table (remember my half clean dining room table from just the other day.... when I finished organized my loose recipes? how did it become piled high yet again with mail and stuff so quickly? HOW?) I swept glassware, candles and other things off shelves, into trash, into giveaway boxes, and into the sinks.

Stuff was my mortal enemy at that moment, and I went at it with a vengeance. Stuff was the only thing I could do anything about, yet stuff wasn't really even the offender.

Pity the poor other happy vegan.

I no longer wanted to go to the art show. I no longer wanted to have lunch in Key West. I no longer wanted to do anything except complete the deliveries in my altered state, come home, then continue my epic battle with my mortal enemy of "stuff."  Oh sure, the other happy vegan did his best to console me. Big mistake. After all these years, he still hasn't figured out not to come between me and any meltdown.

Pity the poor other happy vegan.

At some point he was able to talk me off the figurative ledge. I took a few moments to think. In the last few weeks we have learned of the loss of several people who were important to us in their own way. In the last few weeks we have continued to fight with certain agencies for what is fair. In the last few weeks our wallets have been opening constantly to pay lawyers and other advisers for things that we have been forced into. In the last few weeks we have had virtually no quality time off, no recreation, nothing. In fact, that almost falls into the "months" category of recreation. I'm not counting the trip up north a few weeks ago either. There were good times on that trip, but trust me those trips are exceptionally stressful in their own way.

As thoughts flowed over, and I took stock what I was pitching out of frustration and anger. The great Eric Clapton sang the advice "well you're never gonna get it, if you don't get up and try." E.C. had reached his breaking point too.

Don't let the fools win.

I decided to stop everything, put on the giant sparkly earrings I bought at a consignment shop a while ago (but had yet to wear because we haven't been anywhere), and go to the art show with the other happy vegan.  Much to his relief by the way.

I put on the giant sparkles with a "dammit life is too short" attitude. I swiped on the brightest pink lipstick I own, brushed out my hair which is now 3 months late for a cut and color, grabbed a camera, and headed out to Key West.

We went to the art show. I bought a boa made out of cotton and hemp from a fabric artist who lives in North Carolina which will be just perfect for Midsummer, and then a garden ornament made from someone who collects junk and makes garden adornments.  Here they are:

This is the "something" made out of "nothing."
She had a ticket on her that said her name is Tina.
She's half a coffee pot, with other scraps attached.
Hi Tina. Welcome to Deer Run.

Ok, YOU try to take a picture of yourself, wearing a boa.
Might not look like much, but this is way awesome.
Tip to tip, it reaches all the way down to my knees!

I had a "chocolate buzz" smoothie at Help Yourself, sans sugar. At Sugar Apple, I had half of a tempeh reuben (best sandwich in the Universe) and a beautiful salad with key lime vinaigrette.

Life.  It really is too short to let the fools ruin it. Sometimes (but not always), the fool lies within. Other times, the fools are local officials or other buffoons in a position of quasi-authority seemingly hell bent on foolishness.

Today my inner fool warned me I was teetering a little too close to the edge. The other happy vegan's outer fool did it's best to reel me back in. Those two fools met somewhere in the middle, one of them wearing big sparkly earrings. Because life really is too short. What you work and plan years for might vanish in a flash, be it your life, your retirement, your business, your significant other, your home, your companion animals, or anything else you hold near and dear.  Poof, and gone.

Tonight my big sparkly earrings are going out to eat, and then maybe a quick cocktail at the local tiki bar.

I'm giving some unsolicited, yet excellent, advice to anyone reading this: Life is short, wear the sparkles. Dammit.